


Milly Molly Mandy Gets Married

by Signe (oxoniensis)



Category: Milly-Molly-Mandy - Joyce Lancaster Brisley
Genre: F/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-26
Updated: 2010-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-14 03:09:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxoniensis/pseuds/Signe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only person Milly Molly Mandy has eyes for is Billy.  And he's staring at her like he can't quite believe that she's the same little girl he buried in the corn-bin all those years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Milly Molly Mandy Gets Married

**Author's Note:**

  * For [halotolerant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/halotolerant/gifts).



> A little treat for five-year-old you - these books were my childhood favourites, so I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Thanks to thehoyden for the super-speedy beta.

Milly Molly Mandy stands in the church doorway, arm in arm with Father. He gives her arm a squeeze – he always knows when she needs a little jolt of courage. She's walked down this aisle more times than she can remember, every Sunday for years, but never like this, with everyone watching her. And she's never had Billy Blunt waiting for her before.

Billy looks very handsome in his RAF uniform, his buttons shiny and his boots polished even shinier than usual, as glossy black as his hair. Milly Molly Mandy can feel her heart going all fluttery, but in a good way, like it does when something extra special happens.

Miss Bloss is sitting at the harmonium, all ready to play. She gives Milly Molly Mandy an encouraging smile, but Milly Molly Mandy feels so solemn she can't quite remember how to smile, like that time she had her photograph taken for Mother and she couldn't manage even the littlest of smiles.

Father whispers out of the corner of his mouth. "Are you ready, Poppet?" he asks.

He hasn't called her Poppet for years, not since before she could say Milly Molly Mandy properly. She swallows and nods, then smoothes down her pretty dress. Aunty Alice made it from parachute silk, and thread that was a present from Miss Muggins, and pretty little buttons that Grandma saved from her wedding dress, and a piece of lace from Mother's wedding dress. She even has proper, sheer stockings, a gift from Mother and Father. They must have saved up ration tokens for months. She has the prettiest of pretty bouquets, all pink and white, because those are her colours. She and Susan got up ever so early this morning, as soon as it was light, and went out to the meadow behind the barn and picked Lady's Smock and Granny's Bonnets and Red Campion, and Meadowsweet from the hedge, and then Susan gave her a pretty pink and white stripped ribbon to tie them with. Milly Molly Mandy can't imagine a nicer bouquet.

She looks around to Susan standing behind her, wearing her best pink dress. It seems funny seeing Susan out of her Land Army uniform.

Miss Bloss starts to play the wedding march, all loud and cheerful, and George, the new blacksmith's boy, pumps the bellows, and Father, Milly Molly Mandy and Susan walk slowly down the aisle. Everyone turns to look at them, and Milly Molly Mandy hopes she doesn't slip – she's wearing heels, and she's really only used to wearing sensible shoes.

Bunchy is sitting next to her grandmother. Bunchy is courting now, a young man in the army, over in France. Milly Molly Mandy hopes he comes home soon. Jilly is there with Miss Muggins, and Mr Rudge the Blacksmith and Mrs Rudge. Mr Rudge is in his navy blue wedding suit, which looks a little bit tight on him now, but still very smart. Susan's little sister Doris is sitting on the aisle so she can see, and then, right at the front, there's Mother (who's pretending not to cry) and Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle and Aunty all together on one side, and Mr and Mrs Blunt on the other side. Grandpa can't see very well now, and Grandma is quite deaf, so Grandma is telling Grandpa how pretty Milly Molly Mandy looks, and Grandpa tells her that the wedding march is playing, and Milly Molly Mandy thinks everyone can hear them, even over the harmonium.

The only person Milly Molly Mandy has eyes for now, though, is Billy. And he's staring at her like he can't quite believe that she's the same little girl he buried in the corn-bin all those years ago.

Father lets go of her arm, Milly Molly Mandy hands her bouquet to Susan, and stands next to Billy. He's standing very straight and tall, hands behind his back. They used to be the same height once, when they were first friends, but Milly Molly Mandy stopped growing and he kept on. Father once said he must stand in manure overnight to grow that tall.

It all goes a little bit hazy after that, like a sugar rush when she was little and ate too many aniseed balls. But she'll never forget the moment when Billy firmly says, "I do," looking right at her as he does, a look in his eyes that says he means every word of their vows. Or when the minister asks her, "Millicent Margaret Amanda Morris, will you take William Blunt to be your husband?" and she answers very loud and clear, so everyone can hear right to the back of the church, "I do."

Billy kisses her after the service, and Milly Molly Mandy gets that fluttery feeling back again, and she thinks her cheeks are probably pink afterwards.

When they get outside, they stand on the Church step for their photographs, and this time Milly Molly Mandy is so happy she can't stop smiling, and Billy is grinning ear to ear too, and they're holding hands in every single photograph. All the flags from VE day are still hanging up behind them, so Milly Molly Mandy thinks the photographs are going to look very jolly.

The Church railings where she and Susan used to watch weddings have all gone for munitions, but there's a little row of children peeking around the yew bush by the path. Milly Molly Mandy waves to them, because she knows she would have been excited if a bride had waved to her when she was little, and then Billy waves too, and then everyone waves, and the children wave back.

After the photographs, they all walk through the village to the Inn for the wedding breakfast. There's even a cake, with eggs from Uncle's chickens, though Milly Molly Mandy can't manage to eat any.

"We can save a piece for you for later," Billy insists, and Mother wraps her a big slice up in a cotton napkin. Then there are speeches, which make Milly Molly Mandy's cheeks go pink again because everyone is looking at her and Billy. And then the party is nearly over, and it's time for her and Billy to leave. Milly Molly Mandy gives her bouquet to Susan, because Susan's the best friend she ever could have, and then they wave goodbye to everyone.

It's been a perfect day, and Milly Molly Mandy thinks she couldn't be happier, but then Billy whispers in her ear, "I love you so much, Millicent Margaret Amanda Blunt," and kisses her, but not like the kiss in the church, and then the day is even more perfect.


End file.
